麻豆原创 History Professor Luis Mart\u00ednez-Fern\u00e1ndez marks his debut as a nationally syndicated columnist this week, only one of a handful of self-identified Latinos who have their syndicated work published in mainstream media outlets. There are about a dozen or so, if you include alternative press.<\/p>\n
Creators Syndicate released his first few columns late Tuesday, which coincided with the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 15. The month runs through Oct. 15.<\/p>\n
For the 60-year-old professor who specializes in Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies, the timing was just right. For years he has been contributing columns that have appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, Orlando Sentinel<\/em> and Globe Post<\/em>, but with the pandemic hitting last winter and the birth of his second grandchild, he said he felt moved to see if he could do more to contribute to the national dialogue.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope to surprise people by not only sharing my distinct voice, but also infusing my historian\u2019s perspective and my Cuban humor.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Mart\u00ednez-Fern\u00e1ndez started to write and contribute columns more often, and late this summer Creators Syndicate, one of the largest such companies in the United States, offered him syndication, which means they are distributing his columns worldwide. The columns can also be found on the Creators Syndicate website. The company launched in 1987 and represents more than 250 writers and artists around the globe, including Pulitzer Prize, Reuben Award and Peabody Award recipients. The company boasts 44 million readers through 2,200 publications.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so happy about this opportunity,\u201d Mart\u00ednez-Fern\u00e1ndez says from his home, where he is teaching remotely this semester. \u201cThere was just so much going on in the world when the pandemic started \u2014 still is, and I realized there weren\u2019t many voices like mine represented in the media.\u201d<\/p>\n Let\u2019s clarify terminology here. Latino and Hispanic are interchangeable terms, Martinez Fernandez says. Latinx is a more recent term, but less than 5 percent of the Hispanics use it, he explains in an upcoming column.<\/p>\n